Read Online Akiko in the Sprubly Islands by Mark Crilley - Free Book Online
Authors: Mark Crilley
Tags: Fiction
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er . . .,” Admiral Frutz stammered, suddenly sounding very mild and harmless, “I’ll see what I can do about it, Your Majesty.” The woman stepped forward, motioning Admiral Frutz to one side.
“I’m Pwip,” she said in a very casual voice, “Queen of the Sprubly Islands. Welcome to my palace, Akiko.”
“H-how did you know my name?” I asked, genuinely startled. I’d never told Admiral Frutz, after all. Queen Pwip let out a pleasant little laugh.
“I know a great many things about you, Akiko,” she said with a smile, “and about your friends here, Poog and Gax.” Poog smiled and nodded, and Gax lifted his head higher with a brief series of electronic clicks.
“But that shouldn’t surprise you,” she continued. “Why, it’s the only reason you’ve come looking for me, isn’t it? To find out the things I know.”
“Well, um, yes, that’s true, I guess,” I answered nervously. There was something unsettling about talking to a woman who knew so many things without having to be told. I suddenly realized there was nothing I could keep secret from her.
“That’s nothing to worry about, though, dear child,” she responded, as if she’d heard my thoughts loud and clear. “Why would you want to keep anything secret from me anyway?” She smiled warmly, and I began to feel a little less nervous.
“Your Majesty,” Admiral Frutz whispered urgently. “Your kindness toward these prisoners is most generous, but we mustn’t forget that they were caught in flagrant violation of the Antitrespassing Act of 1403. The stipulated punishment is beheading, is it not?”
“Frutz!” Queen Pwip said, raising her voice. “I know
quite
well what violations have taken place and the punishments that are stipulated. This matter is now under my jurisdiction. Why don’t you run along and do some . . . I don’t know,
drills
or something?”
“But, Your Majesty,” Admiral Frutz protested, “I couldn’t possibly leave you alone with these dangerous criminals.”
“They are
not
criminals, Frutz,” Queen Pwip explained wearily.
“But, Your Majesty—”
“Are you
disobeying my orders
, Frutz?” Queen Pwip asked, her face tightening into a threatening scowl.
“No, Your Majesty, I—I . . . ,” Admiral Frutz stammered nervously, “I . . .”
There was a heavy silence as Queen Pwip stared Admiral Frutz down. Finally his little face loosened up and his jaw dropped a few notches, leaving him looking like a sad little puppy dog. He stared down at his shoes and bowed obediently.
“I’ll be just outside the gate, Your Majesty.”
“
Thank
you,” Queen Pwip said, sighing to herself before turning to face me again. She smiled and waited while Admiral Frutz retreated into the palace, his boots clinking and clattering as he marched across the polished marble floor.
“You’ll have to forgive old Frutzy,” she said at last, turning to me like an old friend. “He means well, really. But he
does
get a little overprotective at times, I’m afraid.” I was pretty impressed with the way Queen Pwip had ordered Admiral Frutz around. She didn’t look mean or tough at all, but she spoke in a way that made people listen to her.
“Come follow me, Akiko,” she said, “and bring your friends. There are some people I think you should meet.’’ I watched as she descended a spiral staircase off to one side of the balcony and reappeared just a foot or so from where I was standing. She was so small she barely came up to my ankle, but she didn’t seem frightened of me in the least.
She showed us to a gateway in the back of the palace and began leading us into a whole new section of the palace grounds. Gax, Poog, and I followed close behind.
“Thank you, Queen Pwip,” I said.
“Why, whatever for, dear child?” she asked with a laugh.
“For not, uh,
beheading
us or anything,”
This produced an even louder laugh, and Queen Pwip dismissed my words with a wave of her hand.
“Akiko, my dear
“I’m Pwip,” she said in a very casual voice, “Queen of the Sprubly Islands. Welcome to my palace, Akiko.”
“H-how did you know my name?” I asked, genuinely startled. I’d never told Admiral Frutz, after all. Queen Pwip let out a pleasant little laugh.
“I know a great many things about you, Akiko,” she said with a smile, “and about your friends here, Poog and Gax.” Poog smiled and nodded, and Gax lifted his head higher with a brief series of electronic clicks.
“But that shouldn’t surprise you,” she continued. “Why, it’s the only reason you’ve come looking for me, isn’t it? To find out the things I know.”
“Well, um, yes, that’s true, I guess,” I answered nervously. There was something unsettling about talking to a woman who knew so many things without having to be told. I suddenly realized there was nothing I could keep secret from her.
“That’s nothing to worry about, though, dear child,” she responded, as if she’d heard my thoughts loud and clear. “Why would you want to keep anything secret from me anyway?” She smiled warmly, and I began to feel a little less nervous.
“Your Majesty,” Admiral Frutz whispered urgently. “Your kindness toward these prisoners is most generous, but we mustn’t forget that they were caught in flagrant violation of the Antitrespassing Act of 1403. The stipulated punishment is beheading, is it not?”
“Frutz!” Queen Pwip said, raising her voice. “I know
quite
well what violations have taken place and the punishments that are stipulated. This matter is now under my jurisdiction. Why don’t you run along and do some . . . I don’t know,
drills
or something?”
“But, Your Majesty,” Admiral Frutz protested, “I couldn’t possibly leave you alone with these dangerous criminals.”
“They are
not
criminals, Frutz,” Queen Pwip explained wearily.
“But, Your Majesty—”
“Are you
disobeying my orders
, Frutz?” Queen Pwip asked, her face tightening into a threatening scowl.
“No, Your Majesty, I—I . . . ,” Admiral Frutz stammered nervously, “I . . .”
There was a heavy silence as Queen Pwip stared Admiral Frutz down. Finally his little face loosened up and his jaw dropped a few notches, leaving him looking like a sad little puppy dog. He stared down at his shoes and bowed obediently.
“I’ll be just outside the gate, Your Majesty.”
“
Thank
you,” Queen Pwip said, sighing to herself before turning to face me again. She smiled and waited while Admiral Frutz retreated into the palace, his boots clinking and clattering as he marched across the polished marble floor.
“You’ll have to forgive old Frutzy,” she said at last, turning to me like an old friend. “He means well, really. But he
does
get a little overprotective at times, I’m afraid.” I was pretty impressed with the way Queen Pwip had ordered Admiral Frutz around. She didn’t look mean or tough at all, but she spoke in a way that made people listen to her.
“Come follow me, Akiko,” she said, “and bring your friends. There are some people I think you should meet.’’ I watched as she descended a spiral staircase off to one side of the balcony and reappeared just a foot or so from where I was standing. She was so small she barely came up to my ankle, but she didn’t seem frightened of me in the least.
She showed us to a gateway in the back of the palace and began leading us into a whole new section of the palace grounds. Gax, Poog, and I followed close behind.
“Thank you, Queen Pwip,” I said.
“Why, whatever for, dear child?” she asked with a laugh.
“For not, uh,
beheading
us or anything,”
This produced an even louder laugh, and Queen Pwip dismissed my words with a wave of her hand.
“Akiko, my dear
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